Drug Effect & FASD Clinic

Grant A Gift Autism Foundation – Ackerman Center in alliance with UNLV Health provides an array of services for children and young adults facing neurodevelopmental conditions. As a collective group, our doctors and medical staff come together to host clinics where our providers collaborate to assess and diagnose a group of individuals at one time through the Drug Effect Clinic, and the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Diagnostic Clinic. 

1 in 9 infants is exposed to alcohol

1 in 5 infants is exposed to nicotine

1 in 20 infants is exposed to illegal drugs

The incidence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is thought to be ~ 5% but is perceived higher in Las Vegas because of the prevalence of alcohol intake

Per our own clinic database, 68% of the children referred to our clinics for prenatal exposure to drugs were also diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

  • The Drug Effect Clinic is a multidisciplinary clinic for the assessment of children and adolescents who have been prenatally exposed to one or more teratogenic drugs, stimulants, hallucinogens, marijuana, cigarettes, or alcohol. The team disciplines include Genetics/Dysmorphology, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, and Pediatric/Clinical Neuropsychology.

  • The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Diagnostic Clinic is a multidisciplinary clinic for the assessment of children who may have one of the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders. The team disciplines include Genetics/Dysmorphology, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, and Pediatric/Clinical Neuropsychology.

CLINICS

Each disciplinary team member independently evaluates the child. Following each evaluation, the team members meet to discuss the results from each discipline to determine the child’s diagnosis. This process includes diagnosing, developing a treatment plan, and providing resources and recommendations. Each family receives a comprehensive report with diagnoses, referrals, and recommendations. They are also given information on the Ackerman Center psychoeducation group and access to our case management team for follow-up and future support.

These clinics are scheduled as day-long sessions and include a number of several families and children. The multidisciplinary team approach helps to collect various data points including background information from the caregiver, medical and genetic evaluations, and psychological assessments, to provide a comprehensive evaluation. This streamlined process allows the Ackerman Center specialized providers to see and diagnose a child in one day, vs. multiple appointments with various providers.

Through these clinics, we can extend education out into the community and help to bring awareness to this crisis in Southern Nevada. By educating providers and community members, awareness of these diagnoses grows, stigmas decrease, and resources are focused on both prevention and treatment. Children with FASD and prenatal drug exposure and are often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. With appropriate diagnoses and treatment plans, these children, young adults, and their families will have proper access to behavior management or behavioral support, medication management, and an increased quality of life.

Inquire About Services

Referral process: Referrals may come from DFS, DCFS, DJJS, DHHS, CCSD, and medical providers. Once a referral is received, the coordinator works with the legal guardian to obtain the clinic paperwork and consent forms, as well as the required records, and personally requests any outstanding records (i.e., birth and medical records). From there an appointment is scheduled.

For more information, please contact the Ackerman Autism Center at autismcenter@grantagift.com, or email a clinic coordinator at neuropsychology@grantagift.com